Clone Wars Gambit: Siege Part 13

"There!" the seeker declared, stopping, its crooked finger stabbing through the holoimage. "Jedi mind there. "

Durd lurched forward to get a closer look. "And where is there? Show me!" He peered at the holoimage, fuming. "I can't tell. This map is useless, Barev. "

"Leave it to me. General, " said Barev, his voice hoa.r.s.e. "I promise you I'll have an exact location by morning. "

He shot the man a furious glare. "See that you do, " he spat, then left Barev to it. He hadn't checked up on Dr. Fhernan for hours... and if he didn't ride that woman closely he knew-he knew-she'd do her best to thwart him.

56.But I won't he thwarted. Not by her and not by Jedi sc.u.m. I will be triumphant, and Count Dooku will praise my name.

Ten bone-crus.h.i.+ng hours after burying himself alive below the surface of Torbel, Anakin stripped off his protective suit and gloves and let them fall to the rocky floor. His clothing was wringing wet with sweat, his soaked hair dripped, his eyes stung with salt, and every hurt was singing a chorus of complaint. So preoccupied was he with these simple, physical miseries that it took a moment for him to notice the disturbance in the Force.

Beside him, Obi-Wan jerked straight. "Stang. Have we been found?"

They were alone in the equipment room, but voices and heavy footsteps were approaching-more miners finis.h.i.+ng up for the night.

"Don't know, " Anakin whispered, and waited for his mine-dulled senses to sharpen. "Don't think so. I think it's something else. "

"What?"

He couldn't tell. All he knew was he felt danger, rising on a cold dark wind just out of sight. "It's not what you felt earlier?"

"No, " said Obi-Wan, after a pause. "But I can't put my finger on it, either. "

And that wasn't like Obi-Wan. It wasn't like him.

"Never mind, " Obi-Wan muttered. "Let's get back to Jaklin's cottage. We can meditate on this question there, in private.

Whatever the trouble is, it's a little way off yet. We have some breathing room. "

Danger s.h.i.+vered through Anakin. "Not much. "

"No. But enough. "

Barely. Except Anakin didn't say so, because Obi-Wan wasn't in the mood for contradictions. With their protective equipment neatly stowed and the sweat drying on their skin, they made their way out of the mine and into the gloriously fresh night air. Beautifully far away, so perfectly high overhead, the scattered stars twinkled, whispering promises of home.

Coruscant was out there. Padme was out there. There was a heart in his chest, beating, but it was only an echo. She was his true heart.

She was his home.

"Anakin?"

He glanced at Obi-Wan, whose face in the mine's sputtering floodlights looked bleached to the bone with fatigue. "You can't do another ten hours tomorrow, " he said, not caring in the least how such a p.r.o.nouncement sounded.

"I'll do what I must, " said Obi-Wan. "I swear, the way you talk you'd think I had one foot in my grave. "

Their fellow miners were streaming into the night. They couldn't argue for long, which was probably a good thing. "No, I don't think that, " he said, while he still could. "But..."

"Don't, " Obi-Wan warned. "Besides, you're imagining things. "

No, he wasn't. He knew from Yoda, and from what he felt every day, that something in Obi-Wan had changed, thanks to Zigoola.

You can pretend all you like, Master. But we both know it's true.

A groundcar's tooting horn made them turn.

"I came out of the refinery and saw you, " Devi said, slowing her vehicle to an idling halt beside them. "It's only now you've finished?"

Anakin nodded. Odd, when everybody else was walking home, that she'd choose to drive. "You're working late, too- and after a day in the power plant? Don't you get to rest?"

57."It's long hours we're all working. " She sighed. "So much damot.i.te they want in the city. "

"Do you know why?"

Somebody called out a good night. Devi waved back, smiling. "No. I don't even think Rikkard knows. Can I take you Teebs to Jaklin's? You're staying under her roof tonight, aren't you?"

"We are, " said Obi-Wan. "And we thank you. But we'll walk, Teeba. After so long underground the fresh air is a relief. "

She laughed. "Bed is a relief. But walk if you like. "

They watched her drive away, threading a path between the wandering groups of miners. Footsteps behind them had them looking around. It was Arrad. Stripped of his smothering protective gear, even in the fitful light it was clear he was his father's son.

"You'll be back tomorrow, " he said, pa.s.sing them. "Two days till the convoy and there's more damot.i.te needed yet. "

Anakin grimaced. "I can't wait. Because there's nothing I like better than smelling like a week-old bantha corpse. "

"Yes, " said Obi-Wan, his lips twitching. "It is a rather unfortunate aroma. "

"I hate to break it to you, cousin, but I'm not the only one with a problem. "

"I know, " Obi-Wan said, heaving a sigh. "And no bath until tomorrow. Truly, this is a most uncivilized life. "

Anakin threw up his hands. "Now he notices. "

"Come along, " said Obi-Wan, and clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm hungry, I'm stinking, and right now that pitiful mattress on the floor of Jaklin's storeroom looks to me like the height of luxury. "

They could have joined some of the other villagers leaving the mine. There were nods, smiles, half-issued invitations. But by tacit consent they made their excuses, claiming the fatigue of a first day, and kept on walking, stretching their senses to the breaking point.

Only they couldn't put a name to the creeping dread they felt. All they knew was that fresh trouble stalked them... and there was nowhere to run.

CHAPTER EIGHT.

Back at the cottage, Teeba Jaklin gave them a measured once-over and grudging approval.

"I've had good reports, " she said. "Though Rikkard wasn't pleased it took you so long to reach the mine. "

Obi-Wan pretended anxiety. "We were sorry to vex him, Teeba. He did say we could take a small wander around the village, get our bearings and lay eyes on the place. It's true we poked our noses into most corners. "

"And kicked a ball around the square with a gaggle of grubby young'uns, " Jaklin added. "So Brandeh tells it. "

"Don't look at me, Teeba. That was Markl. "

Jaklin's severe expression eased. "It's a good heart that likes a young'un. And you were a sweet one to Greti, Yavid. A wild child, she is. No fault of her own. "

"I was sorry to hear her mother is so ill, " he said quietly. "Greti's young to have that kind of fear. "

"You think fear respects age, Teeb?" Jaklin snorted. "Maybe you're a fool after all. I've got stew for you but no clean clothes. There's one or two thinking they could spare you a s.h.i.+rt each but they'll not look till tomorrow. You're filthy in what you're wearing but what you're in will need to do you another day. "

"We'll manage, " Obi-Wan said. "Thank you. "

She nodded. "Go splash yourselves, then. I'll get the stew on the table. "

58.So tired that they were almost dropping face-first into their plates, they gratefully ate the hot, tasteless stew and staggered back to the storeroom.

"See, what did I tell you?" said Anakin, his voice slurring into sleep. "Make friends with the younglings and everyone thinks you're fine. "

Obi-Wan pulled his blanket over his head.

They jerked awake before dawn to screaming sirens and a howling in the Force.

Even as they fumbled out from under their blankets, Teeba Jaklin pounded her fist on the storeroom door and flung it open.

"Theta storm, Teebs, " she said, turning on the light. "It's bad. "

One look at her face and Obi-Wan knew that the trouble he and Anakin had sensed was upon them. "How can we help?" he said, reaching for his boots.

Jaklin was thrumming with an ill-concealed fear. "You said you know machines. That's true? Not fast talk to sweeten us on you?"

"No, it's true, " said Anakin, dragging on his own boots. "What do you need, Teeba?"

Torbel's storm sirens were still wailing, a horrible shrill sound like a sand panther's claws on durasteel. Jaklin pressed a hand to her forehead, as though the shrill sound pained her. "You remember what a theta storm is, Teeb Yavid?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "Sunspot activity agitates radioactive theta particles that have been trapped in a planet's atmosphere. A storm can last for minutes or hours, depending on the strength of the coronal Hare and the concentration of theta particles in any given location. "

Eyes narrowed, Jaklin stepped hack. "That's no plainspoke farmer's answer. "

Stang. Weary and hammered by the Force's loud alarm, he'd forgotten for a moment who he was meant to be.

"I read it once, " he said, pretending bewilderment. "Some fancy book-smart fellow's ramblings. Happened to stick in my mind, that's all. No harm meant, Teeba. "

"He does that, Teeba, " said Anakin. "He reads things, Cousin Yavid does, and spouts them off after like he knows more than the rest of us. Doesn't make him many friends. But he's my family so I have to live with it. "

She looked torn, wanting to believe them, afraid that if she did it might go against her later.

"Teeba, we really do know machines, " said Anakin. "What's there to be done that we can help with?"

"The storm s.h.i.+elds, " she said, rubbing the back of her hand across her eyes. "They drag a lot of power, but so does the mine and the mine can't close down. Not the refinery, either. "

Because they're behind on their quota and the convoy is coming. "So you need eyes in the power plant, " said Obi-Wan. "In case of overload. What else?"

"The s.h.i.+eld generators need checking, too, " she said. "If we lose one we'll have folk theta-poisoned, or worse. We do our best to keep the machines working, but..."

"There's been no money for a long time. You've had to patch and make do, " said Anakin. "And hope things don't fall apart. "

Jaklin stared at him, uncertain. "Yes. It's hard. Always hard. "

"I know, " said Anakin, his voice softening. "I've lived it. "

And because that was true, and she could see it was true, Jaklin abandoned her suspicion. "Your help's sore needed. Most of our men are down the mine. "

59.Puzzled, Obi-Wan looked up from tightening his bootlaces. "What about the village's women?"

"Some know machines. Most don't, " said Jaklin. "I'm trying to change it, but change comes slow. It's sure you are that you know machines? I can trust you?"

"Don't worry, Teeba, " said Anakin, confidently smiling. "We won't let you down. "

"He's right, we won't, " said Obi-Wan, as Teeba Jaklin snorted. "Who do we report to?"

"Well, it should he Rikkard, " Jaklin said, uncertain. "But likely he's gone down the mine again. Arrad's his second, but Arrad's back to working the refinery. " Her breathing caught. "We've so far to catch up yet. "

Obi-Wan exchanged a glance with Anakin. "So does that mean if Rikkard and Arrad are busy, there's n.o.body in charge at the plant?"

Because that's what it sounds like and if that's the case, then may the Force he with all of us.

"No, no, " said Jaklin. "If Rikkard's not aboveground, it's Devi you want. She got herself crippled in a mine-fall. Can't properly walk.

So to make herself useful she studied up on the machines. She'll be doing her best to keep the plant and s.h.i.+elds operating sound. "

He exchanged another glance with Anakin. That's something, at least.

"You've got to keep the power plant working, Teebs, " said Jaklin, her fear rippling through the Force. "If the storm s.h.i.+eld fails we'll all be dead within a week. There are portable glow lamps on the kitchen table. There's no village lighting, to save power. Whoever you find, Rikkard or Devi, tell them you've got my leave to do what's needed. Now I'm off to the charter house. Come storm time it's where people send for help if there's trouble. "

"If there's trouble?" said Anakin, once Jaklin had left. "Obi-Wan..."

"I know. I know. Trouble's already here and it's brought reinforcements. " He took a moment to taste the wild night, feeling the Force's writhing. So much danger. "But we'll manage. Now, I think we'll achieve more if we split up. I'll take the power plant. You keep those s.h.i.+eld generators going. But however you do it, don't let it slip you're a Jedi. Not just for the villagers' sake, but because I don't want us to stand out in the Force. "

Anakin stared. "You still think we're being hunted?"

Since that awful, sharp stab of awareness in the mine he'd felt no further touch by the presence behind it. But while they slept, his restless dreams had told him they weren't alone.